Well, like I said, it's an hour drive, so it wouldn't be the morning "too". It would have to be "instead". And, when looking at all the info in front of me, if I had to chose, I think evening is better.

Plus, where I am hunting, the deer are heading towards a meadow and pond just over the border on private property. It's supposed to be 87 degrees that day, so I imagine that they are heading to the water after a long hot day.

Having 4 months to hunt, I am able to pick and chose a little better as to when I go. Back in Vermont for deer, it's only a 2 week season, and it's only a 15 minute drive to my spot. So, we're out there morning and evening until we get a deer, or the season is over.

I agree if I had limited time, I would go where the prime spot I know. I think I know what location you might be going to, but i won't say. Since you put that info out I should really check on your posts next season. So as maybe I might be lucky.

Do you not hunt all day? I go out before daylight and return after dark most days when deer hunting and every day elk hunting. The other thing is I have killed most deer the hour before and after lunch. Guess I get em because others think they dont move at mid day.

I was a little confused at first as well but I perfectly understand the total time issue. There were times in the past when I drove as much as 5 hours in the dark to get to our hunting spot for antelope in Wyoming for the opener. All that just to be able to stay at home the night before and make sure to get those last minutes with the kids before they went to sleep. They are both grown now and my son is with me most of the time for trips like this. This year we will be making the drive after work and be able to sleep and then get going with a 30 minute drive in the morning.

Work schedule has also contributed to similar time choices to be able to hunt at all some years. I prefer mornings if hiking and glassing but prefer evenings when sitting in a stand.

I’m going to weigh in with Ex-biologist on this one. I know that everyone’s circumstances are different – especially when you throw a work schedule and kids in the mix.

Sometimes our hunting time is limited, but the only conflict that you mention is drive time and that isn’t much of a deterrent. I commute an hour and a half each direction five days a week, so an hour to get to the hunting area is really not a burden in my mind. It’s just mildly inconvenient and requires a bit of planning to organize the other things in life. That said, if you have to drive an hour each way then you want to make the very most of every trip to the hunting area. My goal would be to be there at sunrise and to stay until my game was tagged or until legal hunting light ended. I’d hunt both the morning and the evening AND everything in between. Yes, mornings and evenings might be when the game moves when they are not pressured but I have shot some nice deer at 10 AM and 1 PM. I really think it might have more to do when the other hunters give up and start moving around to leave (or to reenter) the area. Those movements push the game around with the sight, sound, and scent of other hunters. So while your game cameras can tell you what the animals are doing in their normal routine before the season opens, that might or might not apply once opening day comes. Sometimes, all those bets are off and the rules change when you throw something new (like a dozen hunter’s tromping through) into the mix.

Most of my hunting seasons – or at least the portion of them that I actually get to HUNT are so short that I try to squeeze every last second of daylight into them. No matter what you do – be safe and good luck out there for the remainder of the time you can be out there. Mike

I usally plan my hunting days around my families scedule, when i go hunting my wife knows I'll be gone all day and she's fine with it, she is great when it comes to my passion for the outdoors. I prefer to hunt from mid morning till dark, thats when i see the most game. I do hunt from sun up till sun down but if i get a late start I dont panic. Most of the trail cam pics i've been getting the past couple years are deer coming in around 9am till 1130am then again from 430 till dark. Elk on the other hand have been in the middle of the night. If i had to choose one time frame to hunt I'm with you on the evening hunt though. Good luck to you and make sure you keep your wife happy.

Winter is tough on whitetails, that is an accepted fact.
You can help the quality of your herd by providing winter plots - that are not necessarily designed as kill plots.
Having what I call green plots - that the deer can browse in when most of the other food is gone, can greatly benefit the deer herd when they need it most.
Come December - at least in our area of the south - most of the mast is gone, all of the crops were long harvested and this green browse can really make the difference for...